Into the Thinking Kingdoms

March 29, 1999
The fantastical Journey of the Catechist series Foster began with Carnivores of Light and Darkness continues, as the plucky herdsman Etjole Ehomba carries on his search for a mysterious woman who has been kidnapped by the necromancer Hymneth the Possessed. In this installment, Ehomba and his two companions--the great black half-lion/half cheetah Ahlitah and the itinerant swordsman and treasure-hunter Simna ibn Sind--seek a boat that will take them across the infamous Semordria Ocean. In Lybondai, a shifty, cigar-smoking merchant tells them the only place they can find such a ship is in the legendary port city of Hamacassar, far to the north. To get there the trio must cross many strange lands, including a dangerous marsh overrun by wild horses and a place where flowers fight for superiority. In Tethspraih they are arrested for having improper thoughts. In Phan City they barely escape with their lives when attacked by otherworldly spirits after the "witching hour," and in Netherbrae they free an intelligent beast named Hunkapa Aub from his human torturers. Though every obstacle falls a bit too neatly to Ehomba's native wit and his grab bag of enchanted items, the story's swift pace and Foster's boundless imagination deliver something very different from the usual fantasy quest saga. In these magical lands, Foster shows that character and common sense can be as important, and as powerful, as any magic.

March 15, 1999
Having passed through the kaleidoscopic landscapes of the Changing Lands, the herdsman Etjole Ehomba and his two companions embark upon the second phase of their quest to fulfill the mission of a dying stranger. Entering the Thinking Lands, Ehomba encounters exotic cultures offering subtle dangers and strange new experiences. Foster's latest series combines elements of epic fantasy with folkloric motifs in an engaging picaresque tale of a simple man's honor-bound journey into adventure. Libraries owning Carnivores of Light and Darkness (LJ 5/15/98) will wish to purchase this sequel.

March 15, 1999
Etjole Ehomba, the curious shepherd who was launched by accident on a quest as a messenger and deliverer in "Carnivores of Light and Darkness," continues through wilderness and civilization in search of a way across the impassable Semordrian Ocean. The vision of a princess held prisoner by a mighty but vile sorcerer continues to trouble the conscientious Etjole, although his companions, a wandering mercenary and a giant talking cat, half lion and half cheetah, are skeptical. Their surroundings are part natural world, part fossil record, where fish fly through the air and the eohippus is as common as the zebra. The three survive adventures, from time storms to warring flowers, primarily because of Etjole's pack of village mementos and good luck charms. Although he continually denies his own magical powers, these trinkets can produce great white sharks or murderous dolls without warning. The effect of this book is that of tales within tales, like those of Sinbad and his many voyages; a thousand dissimilar elements somehow fit together seamlessly. This is Foster at his best, thoughtful and fun. ((Reviewed March 15, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)